‘Sinapsa Insekta’ brings insect bioacoustics and EEG data to Nova Gorica
Martina Testen and Simon Šerc present “Sinapsa Insekta,” an interactive installation combining insect field recordings and EEG data, at EPICenter Nova Gorica.
Slovenian artists Martina Testen and Simon Šerc are presenting “Sinapsa Insekta,” an interactive audiovisual installation, at EPICenter in Nova Gorica from 6 to 13 November 2026. The piece premiered to the public on 6 November at 7:00 PM and runs through 13 November at 5:00 PM.
How ‘Sinapsa Insekta’ works
“Sinapsa Insekta” is built on field recordings of insect sounds captured on the Banjšice Plateau in Slovenia. Visitors wear EEG electrodes that let their brain activity adjust the sound filters, rhythms and frequencies drawn from those recordings, while motion sensors track their movement through the space. Both data streams feed a custom computer program that alters the soundscape in real time and generates synapse-like visual structures on screen.
The name “Sinapsa Insekta” dates back three years, to a short animated film Testen and Šerc entered in the first edition of an artificial intelligence festival in South Korea, where it won an award. The pair expanded that concept into the current interactive installation, combining intermedia art, biometric data, sound and generative visuals. “Sinapsa Insekta” received support from the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Slovenia and the Municipality of Nova Gorica.
About Martina Testen and Simon Šerc
Testen and Šerc work together as Biodukt, a field recording and sound art project, across sound art, video, field recordings and interactive technology, with a recurring focus on perception, time and the relationship between humans and the natural environment. Their field recording releases have been covered by outlets including The Guardian, BBC and The Wire, and their audiovisual work has received international awards.
“Sinapsa Insekta” extends that practice, carrying their Banjšice Plateau field recordings into an interactive format for the first time. The installation remains on view at EPICenter in Nova Gorica, Slovenia, through 13 November 2026.
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